Section H: Insufficient Funds or no Account Check

Insufficient Funds or No Account Checks

The division may suspend a license, title, or registration and issue the county a credit if the check used to pay for the motor vehicle's fees is dishonored.

Distress warrant must be issued to recover license plates or tags issued if a purchaser purchased the plates or tags or paid the excise tax or any title fees with an insufficient funds or no account check. If the check is not made good within 30 days, and the sheriff is unable to collect, the county treasurer must report it to the state's attorney for prosecution.

At this point, the division will suspend such registration, title, or license and credit the county. To request suspension and receive credit, submit a statement of the facts along with a refund invoice. The statement should document the above process, including the dates, title number, bad check information, distress warrant, whether the plates have been collected, and when it was turned over for prosecution.

Additional documentation is being requested due to the large number of these that we are pursuing to the next step because the sheriff is unable to collect or the vehicle has been transferred or repossessed. In addition to the statement, please attach copies of the following:

Bad check.

Dishonored check notice.

Certified return receipt card.

Returned distress warrant.

A record cannot be suspended if the title has already been transferred or repossessed, or the dishonored check is not in a title owner's name. Further, since a suspension does not prevent the sale of the vehicle, if the vehicle is later sold, the record suspension will be removed. Every attempt will, however, be made to collect the delinquent fees from the responsible party.

A $30 fee is added to the DMV fees for collection of an insufficient fund check.

If collection is made on the dishonored check, this is entered on to the system and the documents stating the title number(s), specific fee(s) and circumstances must be submitted.

Refunds - Noncommercial Vehicle

A refund may be authorized to the owner of a motor vehicle for any overpayment (vehicle age and weight correction), past or future, paid by the owner for license plate fees.

The refund is paid out of the motor vehicle fees collected by the county.

Application for the refund must be made within one year from the date the license fee was paid.

The refund is granted to the person to whom the vehicle is currently registered. The title must be in the name of the individual applying for refund, not just assigned on the reverse side.

There is no provision for a refund of license fees on a boat.

The county treasurer is authorized to make a refund based on the documentation.

If an applicant desires to lower the tonnage on a noncommercial declared gross weighted vehicle, no refund is given. The applicant can either retain the current plates with the higher tonnage until the new licensing period and then lower the tonnage or, if so desired, the applicant can return the license plates and a new set of plates with the lower tonnage will be issued.

If an applicant desires to change the license on a vehicle from noncommercial to commercial, the applicant can surrender the noncommercial license plates and receive a credit for the remaining months (to zero) toward the commercial plates or the owner has the option of removing the valid noncommercial license plates and retaining them for transfer to a newly acquired vehicle upon registration of the newly acquired vehicle through the county treasurer (credit will then be given for the remaining months left on the plate at time of attachment).

If an applicant who was unable to obtain a bill of sale prior to making application and thus was assessed 3% excise tax on the book value, later obtains the bill of sale, a refund for the overpayment of the excise tax will be authorized if the request is made within one year from the date of the original application. No refund will be granted on requests made after one year from the date of application.